Netherworld will launch the 2017 Halloween season as their FINAL FEAR YEAR in their current location! Netherworld has purchased a new bigger and better location. See their complete press release below. Now check out their seriously scary haunted house 2017 preview video! Learn more about netherworld at www.FearWorld.com
2017 Halloween Season Marks the Final Year in Norcross
ATLANTA – After one final season at the longtime Norcross Antique Center location this fall, NETHERWORLD Haunted House will relocate to a brand new facility in Stone Mountain, Georgia, the first major move for the world famous haunted house in 20 years. Conveniently located just off of US 78 in Gwinnett County, the 9.5 acre property was purchased by NETHERWORLD in early March. The new location will allow for a large expansion of the haunts, new attractions including year round Escape Games, and increased parking.
“We are pleased and excited that NETHERWORLD is relocating within the Evermore Community Improvement District of Gwinnett. With the recreational history of Stone Mountain coupled with the fact that the Tennis Center is being removed, NETHERWORLD will be the first new venue to change the face of the area. Ultimately, we are looking at creating an entertainment complex to give residents a higher quality of life within the district,” said Evermore CID Executive Director Jim Brooks.
The new location, with nearly ten acres of property and 70,000 square feet of space will also feature expanded retail areas and extensive indoor queuing. In addition to new attractions, the location will also offer attendees a myriad of other amenities, including dozens of restaurants and entertainment options close by.
“Over the last 20 years NETHERWORLD Haunted House has continued to grow and attract more and more fright fans each year,” said Billy Messina, co-owner of NETHERWORLD. “After looking at many locations around the greater Atlanta area, we found the Stone Mountain property and were blown away by how perfect it would be for our operation. Not only is there room to expand our Haunted Attractions, but we’ll also be able to explore new types of themed experiences which we simply don’t have room for at our current location.”
The first to be unveiled will be “Escape the NETHERWORLD” in late summer of 2017, a thrilling series of challenge games that will test the problem solving skills of attendees. Though Escape Games in general are not particularly scary ventures, if you’d like a bit of a scream, NETHERWORLD will offer guests a choice between a “scary” and “not scary” version of their games. Whichever version patron’s experience, they will be sure to see the same high level of detail, theming and fun that NETHERWORLD Haunted House is so well known for. “We’re excited to be opening the Escape Games this summer in Stone Mountain, but we’re equally focused on and excited about NETHERWORLD opening this September for one last season in the place we’ve called “home” for two decades. We’re working really hard to make this final season in Norcross our most epic to date.” Messina further stated.
In its final year at 6624 Dawson Blvd., NETHERWORLD Haunted House is ready to terrify with two new attractions in 2017: PRIMAL SCREAM and Dr. GRENDEL’S FUNHOUSE of HORROR in 3D! The season launches the weekend of Friday, September 22 – Saturday, September 23 and opens seven days a week starting Friday, September 29 through Halloween. The final nights to experience NETHERWORLD at the Norcross location will be Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5.
“NETHERWORLD is a world-class haunted attraction. They are powerful marketers who have had an incredible economic impact in Gwinnett.” said Nick Masino, Chief Economic Development Officer at Partnership Gwinnett. “After 20 years, their name and Gwinnett County have become synonymous and we knew it was important to keep them here. We are thrilled that this has been accomplished.”
Tickets are $23 for PRIMAL SCREAM and $28 for both PRIMAL SCREAM and MR. GRENDEL’S FUNHOUSE OF HORRORS all Sundays – Thursdays except Halloween. On Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween, tickets cost $25 for PRIMAL SCREAM and $35 for both PRIMAL SCREAM and MR. GRENDEL’S FUNHOUSE OF HORRORS. Speed passes, which allow front of line access and entry to both haunts are also available for $55 each. Tickets for the 2017 NETHERWORLD season will go on sale after Memorial Day so stayed tuned for more information and visit fearworld.com for updates and hours of operation.
About NETHERWORLD Haunted House: NETHERWORLD, Atlanta’s most popular self-guided, dark attraction, is one of the most highly-acclaimed Haunted Houses in the world. Known for its over-the top special effects, unique make-up, elaborate costuming, skilled stunt actors and unusual themes and details, NETHERWORLD has established itself as an Atlanta tradition. Since the attraction first opened 21 years ago, NETHERWORLD has been voted by publications such as Hauntworld Magazine, Dread Central, Fangoria and USA Today as the top haunt in the nation as well as been recognized both locally and nationally by media including CNN, The Today Show, The Early Show, The Travel Channel and Wall Street Journal. Every season, this innovative horror experience continues to draw in generations of thrill seekers eager to see what new nightmares have been unleashed! For more information, visit www.fearworld.com or call 404-608-2484. Keep up with all things spooky by following NETHERWORLD Haunted House on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Media Contacts: Tara Murphy – 360 Media, Inc. – 404.577.8686 or info@360media.net
House of Shock located in New Orleans turns 25 Fears Old this Halloween. House of Shock spans 25,000 SCREAM FEET of sheer Terror is one of the most shocking haunted houses in America. This year House of Shock will feature a grisly House of Wax attraction last year they debut 'Laff in the Dark 3D'. House of Shock opens for the haunting season on September 30th with the kickoff “Zombie Prom,” and will be open from 8PM - 12AM every Friday and Saturday during October, as well as Sunday, October 22; Thursday, October 26; Sunday October 29; Monday October 30 and Halloween Day, Tuesday, October 31 (General admission is $30 and VIP admission $55)
Brighton Asylum is a massive haunted house featuring haunted houses, escape games and much more. Brighton Asylum is located near New York City and Newark New Jersey in an area called Passaic New Jersey. If you live anywhere in the New York City area you can visit Brighton Asylum. Most haunted houses in the New York City media market are actually in New Jersey the mass majority actually. Brighton Asylum is the scariest and clearly the most terrorizing haunted attractions in all of the New York/New Jersey area! Read our full review below! Brighton Asylum features 3 different haunted attractions and 4 different escape rooms. Learn more about this attraction by visiting their website at www.brightonasylum.com
New Jersey's Haunted Houses are some of the scariest and best in America! Hauntworld.com rates and reviews the best and Scariest haunted houses, haunted attractions, and Halloween events in America! Brighton Asylum is located in Passaic, New Jersey. Please share this page and leave your reviews of one of America's best and scariest Haunted Houses. When you find yourself in New Jersey go to Brighton Asylum
To learn more about New Jersey's Brighton Asylum visit their Website below:
Driving down Brighton Avenue in Passaic New Jersey, as the residential areas start to become scarce, one almost instantly gets the “We Aren’t In Kansas Anymore” feeling. Brighton Asylum, like a dark and foreboding body, lines the winding road, but it’s not until the end that the full magnitude of its chilling presence can be appreciated.
It’s assumed The Brighton Asylum housed mentally unstable and psychologically damaged individuals back in the 1940’s. Legend has it, years of extremely harsh living conditions, grotesque medical experiments, staff disappearances, and screams spilling into the residential areas during the night, resulted in the state permanently closing the facility in 1952 pending a full investigation. However, no such results of an investigation can be found to date. In 2011, Brighton Asylum opened to the public as a haunted attraction.
After 59 years of sitting unexposed, decaying and cut off from the outside world, Brighton Asylum reopened as a haunted house venue unlike any other in or around New Jersey. It’s creaky doors were open once again, and ever since, thousands of people have been exploring its hallways and rooms where hundreds of patients lost their minds. The many unthinkable events that took place between the mid 1940’s and 1952, are still waiting to be fully uncovered mostly by angry souls seeking their ultimate vindication.
Brighton Asylum is New Jersey’s largest indoor haunted attraction, with two haunted houses and a third currently in development. Located just miles from New York City, and in the heart of northern New Jersey, Brighton Asylum quickly created a reputation for itself as one of the most detailed and must-see attractions in the country. Currently, there are two main attractions: Brighton Asylum and The Tunnel. Currently in development is a 3rd attraction, The Bleeding Grounds, hoping to open in time for this coming 2017 Halloween season.
Brighton Asylum is the main haunted house attraction. It’s updated yearly with all custom sets, over the top special effects, custom animations and unique scares. Brighton Asylum is designed to be a truly all-encompassing experience, designed to be scary but also to be fun. “Not everyone gets scared in haunted houses. That’s just a reality, but everyone wants to have fun,” said owner Rich Gonci. “At Brighton Asylum, we make sure that we are providing a complete visceral experience. If guests aren’t coming out screaming, they are coming out laughing or stunned, and that’s great too!”
At Brighton Asylum, there is something for everyone and upon repeat visits, there is always something else new and horrific to see or experience that might have been missed the first time. Plus, Richard and his horror design crew make changes annually to keep the production fresh. The Tunnel is the newest attraction, opened in 2015. It begins with boarding our “75 year old service elevators”. Often violent, and sometimes reliable, we take you under the brick and mortar of Brighton Asylum, through the long forgotten tunnel system that runs underneath (simulated). This attraction, like Brighton Asylum, is extremely detailed, and immerses guests in a hyper-realistic environment, complete with custom moving sets, animations, special effects, unique scares and top quality audio all of which adds to the eerie fright and feel each haunt customer receives.
The Bleeding Grounds will be the newest haunted house event. This up and coming haunt will be located on the 2nd floor of Brighton Asylum, and guests have been dying to get onto the 2nd floor since they opened in 2011. From the exterior of the building, bars can still be seen lining all the windows, an eerie reminder of stories circulating about what took place there years ago, and what lies ahead waiting to be uncovered. The Bleeding Grounds will take guests through a “manor” style attraction, exploring staff quarters located within the grounds of Brighton Asylum. However, many people wonder how the staff quarters came to be known as “The Bleeding Grounds”. The creative geniuses at Brighton Asylum tell us that the answer can be found within the explorations of the attraction itself. “Nobody can be told why the living quarters were dubbed The Bleeding Grounds.
Gonci's team members are working fervently on this attraction but unless it's perfect they will not open it's doors. "That's how we operate," says Gonci, "if we aren't satisfied, then we continue working on the attractions until we are 110% happy ourselves. Our customers love that about us. They always know they're getting nothing short of the best haunted attractions when they attend each season." The Bleeding Grounds will most likely open for 2018 season, unless they give it their infamous stamp of approval sooner to open for 2017.
In addition to their world class haunted attractions, Brighton Asylum recently unveiled another new attraction, Brighton Asylum Escape. The escape room industry is currently exploding across the country, and Brighton Asylum is at the forefront of the industry with four 2nd gen escape rooms. Players can choose between two 60 minute room experiences or two 5 minute experiences. The five minute experiences are only available during haunted house hours, but the 60 minute rooms are available Wed-Sun all year long.
“We added the 5 minute experiences for our haunted house guests because of the low capacity of 60 minute escape rooms”, said Rich Gonci.“Our guests love these rooms and we want to make sure that anyone who wants to try out an escape room gets to play”, he added. Rich Gonci has always been ahead of the curve. Brighton Asylum was also the first haunted house in the tri-state area to attempt off season haunted house events. They opened with their “Santa’s Slay” and “Dark Valentine” events in 2012 and expanded to a full line of haunted house events in 2013.
Today, Brighton Asylum has haunted house events during most months of the year. “When we opened for Santa’s Slay back in 2012, several guests were staff members of other haunted houses, coming from as far as Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York. Many were just curious about the set up and how a Christmas themed haunted house might look”, said Rich.
One challenge that Brighton Asylum seems to be conquering handedly, is that of yearly updates. Brighton Asylum has seen several major renovations since its conception in 2011 that are nothing short of stunning. Their original set up in 2011 began to undergo its most major changes in 2014, and each season they seem to have accomplished the impossible, turning into one of the most detailed haunted houses in the country by 2015. “One of the greatest complements I’ve ever received was one I heard not once but twice last season,” said Rich, “that Brighton Asylum looks like a haunt in its 20th season, not just 6th year of fear.”
Brighton Asylum has a dedicated team of special effects make-up artists, costume designers, prop makers, set designers, and actors, who work all year to bring the larger than life atmosphere that people from all over the country come to experience year after year.
“Every costume is designed, distressed, and tailored not only for the actor, but for the scene, in order to bring as much realism and dimension as possible” said Danielle Foreman, chief costume designer.
Brighton Asylum is also extremely well known for their high quality make-up effects. “We employ a large number of special effect make-up techniques including prosthetics, silicone, airbrush and of course high quality custom-made silicone and latex masks,” said John Anthony, head of make-up. “Our goal is to really immerse guests in a hyper- realistic environment, and we believe that includes the looks of the actors interacting with guests”, he added.
Brighton Asylum has received accolades by many, but Rich Gonci shared with me a few of his most favorites. The Today Show called Brighton Asylum the “Scariest Place On Earth” after Tamron Hall was taken to the hospital with a torn muscle in her throat from screaming, and the Huffington Post called it the “Best Haunted House For Millennials”. Additionally, it’s routinely featured as part of top haunt lists all over the country including a 2016 featured listing by Buzzfeed. This past season, the attraction received a visit from actor James Franco, and have been featured on the show “Cake Boss”.
Find The Scariest Haunted House in Chicago Near you? If you have a fear of going to prison then beware Stateville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead located in Chicago Illinois is about to make you scream!
Illinois' Haunted Houses are some of the scariest and best in America! Hauntworld.com rates and reviews the best and Scariest haunted houses, haunted attractions, and Halloween events in America! Statesville Haunted Prison is located in Crest Hill, Illinois which is technically Chicago Illinois. Please share this page and leave your reviews of one of America's best and scariest Haunted Houses. When you find yourself in Illinois go to Statesville.
To learn more about Illinois' Statesville Haunted Prison visit their websit below:
Professional athletes and self-proclaimed “tough guys” have run out screaming, unable to make it through Statesville Haunted Prison ®. Others, upon exit, quickly shake their heads “no way” to entering its evil little sister, City of The Dead.
“To simply say that Statesville Haunted Prison & City of the Dead are great haunted houses, is a disservice in the worst possible way. The passion and expertise infused into this haunted attraction on every level elevates it to a tier of haunt experience shared only by the top haunts in the nation and theme park events like Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.”
One hears horror stories of what can happen inside the walls of prison, but this petrifying prison sentence truly tests the strength of men’s minds. There is no escaping the oppressive and horrifying walls of Statesville Haunted Prison.
Located in the shadow of Stateville Correctional Center, a former maximum-security state prison in Chicago’s southwestern suburbs, Statesville Haunted Prison is the opposite of calm and order – The prisoners have rioted, the guards have fled and now a ghoulish darkness has seized control of this mythical maximum-security Prison. More than 100 gruesome criminals deemed “too evil to die” seem perpetually trapped in their cells, while others linger in hallways, the boiler room, and even the bathroom shower. Watch where you put your hands! Altogether, here are 40 horrifying rooms in this haunted house that will leave you quivering and trembling with fear.
“This haunt is extreme with a capital EXTREME! You are treated like a prisoner. The guards are rough and show no mercy…We left scared and exhilarated.”
It all began when Paul Siegel decided that they needed to add an attraction to Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm for Halloween. The Farm had long hosted Pumpkin Fest, daily FALL fun for the whole family, but he felt they needed a way to close out the season ending on Halloween. The family introduced a haunted hayrack ride. While popular, Mother Nature is hard to predict. Paul knew they needed to create an indoor experience that people could enjoy no matter rain or shine.
In 1980, “The Blues Brothers” movie was released and fans from across the country would stop by Paul Siegel’s third-generation farm to ask directions to Statesville Correctional Center, where the film starts with Jake Elwood (John Belushi) walking out of prison. However, the idea for Statesville as a haunted house didn’t strike Siegel until the early 90’s, and would grow, over the years, into THE destination for thrill seekers from across northern Illinois and Wisconsin to Indiana.
From a marketing perspective, it was pure genius. Adding an “s” to the name drew more people looking for the iconic prison the film made famous, in turn generating tremendous awareness and attendance at Statesville Haunted Prison.
What makes for a great haunted house? The twisted, morbid, wicked mind and sense of humor of Paul Siegel, the owner and mastermind of the truly macabre experience that is Statesville Haunted Prison® and City of the Dead in Lockport, IL.Its decades- long reign makes it the longest running, and most acclaimed, haunted house in Chicagoland. It is the granddaddy of horror in Illinois, and its legendary status is well known by the brave, who voluntarily “incarcerate” themselves with more than 150 of the most ghoulish actors in the area.
“Statesville’s scariness lies in its ability to make everything look real. The haunted prison uses this realism to make its maze and different rooms just so cinematic in a way that makes each and every guest feel as if they’re in their own horror film.”
Each year, Warden Siegel, with the help of the next generation of Siegels, changes at least 30% of the attraction to give annual visitors the newest, most unpredictable, scare experience available in Illinois. With cutting edge effects and an unrivaled attention to detail, Statesville offers an aggressive, interactive haunt experience designed for adult audiences, and not intended for children or the weak.
“The production values at this attraction are jaw dropping. The sets are film quality, and you are fully immersed. The combined size of both haunts is only 15,000 sq ft, but feels immeasurably larger.”
Statesville Haunted Prison has been named one of Illinois' best haunted houses for 16 years. It has been named the "Best Haunted House in Chicagoland" for 14 of the past 16 years by Haunted House Chicago, ranked a "Must See Top 25 Haunted Attractions in America" by Haunted Attraction Magazine, received the highest rankings available in both Time Out Chicago and Red Eye, and was featured as the Craziest Haunted House on the Travel Channel's "Halloween Craziest" in 2013.If that isn’t enough for you, after an hour of fighting your way out of the mighty walls of Statesville, the truly brave go for another dose of fear by descending into the burial pit of City of The Dead. In this subterranean nightmare of caves and mine shafts, you will find the mass graves of Statesville’s past inmates. Here, in the depths of this unholy tomb, the Gatekeeper has risen from the dead and the zombies are on the march. You must make it back to the surface, through live snakes, rats, cockroaches and spiders, before you become a permanent resident.
“We feel that our success is due to one simple philosophy,” said Paul Siegel. “We love our fans and we work all year long to give them the very best haunted house experience of their lives.”
“Statesville Haunted Prison is exactly what a haunted prison should be: dark, dank and scary enough to make you jump, while stalking your nightmares for the next few weeks…While an extra pair of underwear is not mandatory, it's certainly strongly encouraged.”
Statesville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead in Lockport, IL are a must for thrill seekers willing to risk it all for one night locked up in….Hell. This horrific haunted house experience will truly give you the thrill of being alive and grateful to breathe the fresh night air on the other side IF you survive Statesville Haunted Prison.
Oklahoma's Haunted Houses are some of the scariest and best in America! Hauntworld.com rates and reviews the best and Scariest haunted houses, haunted attractions, and Halloween events in America! Trail of Fear Haunted Screampark is located in Lawton, Oklahoma which is a haunted house in Oklahoma City. Please share this page and leave your reviews of one of America's best and scariest Haunted Houses. When you find yourself in Oklahoma go to the Trail Of Fear.
To learn more about Oklahoma's Trail Of Fear Haunted Screampark visit their websit below:
The Trail of Fear is well known as Oklahoma’s largest and most terrifying haunted attraction, and it’s celebrating its 20th anniversary this October with some of its most hair-raising scares yet. In its two decades of screams, frights and chills, this successful haunted house has unnerved tens of thousands of souls brave enough to step foot on the haunted grounds in Lawton, Oklahoma just outside of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Today, the Trail of Fear is synonymous with that creeping dread as it crawls up the back of your neck when entering one of the haunted attractions. Twenty years ago, that dread was felt by father- and-son Robert Wright Sr. and Bob Wright Jr. as they were about to undertake a new venture. “We never thought we would be as big as we are. It just wasn’t something that was even in our minds at that time.” Before father-and-son were in the business of scaring people senseless, Wright Sr. was trying to conceive and construct, with a group of fellow science teachers, a science discovery center in Lawton. Wright Jr. was working at a seasonal Halloween store in a local mall at the time. Wright Sr. raised the idea to open a Halloween store of their own to help raise funds for the science discovery center. But after a couple months of research, he proposed a different path to his son.
“My dad comes home one day and says, ‘Son, you love haunted houses, right?’ I said, yes, of course,” admits Bob Wright Jr. “Great!’...he tells me, because I just bought 40 acres. Let’s make this happen.”
That 40 acres, subsequently and aptly labeled the Trail of Fear, would, over the years, become the largest and highest rated haunted attraction in Oklahoma, but that first year was not nearly as special or as spooky recalls Wright Jr, “Our first year in 1998 we had a small hay maze and a 2400 sq ft tent. We just had one small attraction, and we sold maybe 300 to 400 tickets.”
The Wrights were onto something though, because word began to spread rapidly. More people showed up the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Five years into their venture,father-and-son knew they were onto something big.
“In 2003 or 2004 we realized, holy crap, what did we get into here?” Wright Jr. said. They had tapped into a growing cultural zeitgeist. “People want to be scared and they’re willing to pay top dollar and travel as far as they need to experience that anxiety and racing pulse. Most area haunted attractions were unassuming affairs with hobbies and pastimes for Halloween enthusiasts, but my dad and I approached it differently.
We’re literally put on an interactive theater show that people go on a horrific journey through,” Wright Jr. said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve been successful on putting together such good shows. Our cast is top notch and we wouldn’t be much without them!” That philosophy led to the Trail of Fear’s dominance, not only Oklahoma, but throughout the region, as the must-see haunt.
For the last decade, it’s been named the largest and highest rated haunt in Oklahoma. In 2012, it was ranked one of the top 31 haunted attractions in the entire United States. In 2015, the Trail of Fear Haunted Scream Parks, including both Lawton and Thunderbird Trail of Fear, were ranked the third Most Extreme Scream Parks in the U.S.
After dominating the haunt scene in Southwest Oklahoma for more than 15 years, Wright Jr. could only see one future…EXPANSION! In 2013, he partnered with husband-and-wife duo Matthew and Elizabeth Achemire to open The Thunderbird Trail of Fear in Noble, Okla. “Matt and I have been friends for many years,” Bob Jr. said. “We had talked about expanding the Trail of Fear for some time. He had some acreage, so we finally decided…let’s do this!” Matt decided he was in a place in his life where he wanted another creative outlet, and Bob was ready to grow The Trail of Fear into a brand to be reckoned with in the Haunted Attraction Industry. “Brand awareness and brand growth are a couple of my main areas of focus,” Bob Jr. said. “The Trail of Fear is no longer just a haunted attraction. It’s now a brand that we’re growing.”
Hauntworld continues to watch Trail of Fear grow in success and progression. In 2012, it was ranked on the Top 31 list of ALL haunted attractions in the entire US. In 2015, both Trail of Fear Haunted Scream Park in Lawton and Thunderbird Trail of Fear in Noble were ranked third on Hauntworld’s Most Extreme Scream Parks list.
The Wrights and the Achemires knew the Thunderbird location needed an attraction that would hook people as soon as they stepped foot through its entrance…an attraction that would not only send them screaming back to their vehicles, but would compel them to tell family and friends. Over some wings and beer they brainstormed ideas for the theme of the new attraction, but it was Elizabeth who shouted, "Hillbillies! Cannibal hillbillies!" Bob Jr. knew just the attraction to build.
For years, the most popular experience at the Lawton Trail of Fear was the Hackensaw Haunted Hayride. Visitors wandered into the path of a cannibalistic family of inbred hillbillies with a taste for flesh and a penchant for striking fear into the hearts of their victims before they devoured their bodies. It was the single most popular haunted attraction in all of Oklahoma, and it was moving to Thunderbird as a brand new walkthrough attraction of pure terror with new characters, scenes and props. Renamed the Hackensaw Haunted Hill, the cannibal family was packing its bags and its spare body parts and moving north. The Thunderbird team felt it would be a great fit there, and they were right. “We started out with that single attraction and it has been a success for us ever since,” said Wright Jr.
The brand was growing. The Trail of Fear was no longer a regional haunt in Southwest Oklahoma. Word had spread to Oklahoma City. There was something terrifying, perhaps even evil, growing just outside the city. The dead are walking and crave the taste of human flesh. Unlike their inbred hillbilly counterparts, their taste cannot besated. “In 2015, we expanded to a second attraction called, The Rotting Dead Reckoning,” Wright Jr. Said. “It’s a ride through a zombie-infested area where you get to shoot at our Rotters.” That’s what we call them because zombie is a bad word here. We want to keep that word out of our vocabulary.
The undead plague continued to spread, spurred by the success of the Thunderbird Trail of Fear and the flagship Trail of Fear location. For the first time in Trail of Fear history, Thunderbird location surpassed the original as the highest rated haunted attraction in Oklahoma in 2015, with the original location ranked a close second. Wright Jr. knew his partners at Thunderbird were doing it right, so expansion was on his mind yet again. “The expansions are a significant part of growing the Trail of Fear brand,” he said. “It happened with the Thunderbird location, and it happened again in 2015, when I opened our third location, the NEW Dead Woods Trail of Fear in Luther, Okla.”
As ambitious as ever, Wright Jr. wanted to try something never done before, to his knowledge. The Dead Woods location’s The Rotting Dead experience ties in with Thunderbird’s The Rotting Dead: Reckoning as a two-part scream experience.
“In the opening attraction at Dead Woods, we have the rotting dead with a twist on all of the zombie apocalypse stuff going on,” Wright Jr. said. “We have this complete and unique storyline where this could be a safe haven in the woods from the rotting dead. If they make it to, or if they’ve gone through Thunderbird, they see the rotting dead outbreak. They come here to Dead Woods and they think they’re safe in a place that might not be safe. We may be the only haunted attraction in the U.S. that has two different locations with a tie-in with two attractions at those locations.”
After two years in Luther, Dead Woods Trail of Fear will move this year to the Adventure District in Oklahoma City, near the Oklahoma City Zoo and Remington Park. Along with the move comes a new business partner for the Dead Woods location, Adam Stephens. Stephens is new to the Trail of Fear family but has been friends with Wright Jr. for more than a decade. Stephens said, “I am happy to join the Trail of Fear team and looking forward to continued success as we bring a new level of excitement to the Oklahoma City metro area.” The new location will retain the tie-in with the Thunderbird Trail of Fear and could experience tremendous growth with a more centralized locale and perhaps the addition of a second haunted attraction this year.
“We’re very excited about moving Dead Woods Trail of Fear inside the Oklahoma City limits, to the Adventure District no ess,” Wright Jr. said. “It’s going to help grow the Trail of Fear brand and enable us to scare more people, which is what this is all about. Scare one. Scare all.”
The expansion and success wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of the father-and-son Wright duo and the lessons they’ve learned during the last 20 years. They’ve always operated under the idea of actors and performances first. They believe if the cast and crew is not stepping up their game or doing their jobs the whole experience will fall apart, no matter how much money is invested in props and decor. “You can have the best looking haunted attraction in the world and it won’t mean a thing if you don’t have the actors to support the look. It’s not going to be effective. That’s why we invest a lot of time and resources into our cast.”
Character is an important emphasis for the cast of each Trail of Fear location which is why The Trail of Fear locations lean heavily on their cast to give their best performances each night. They bring in directors and coaches to help the cast adapt to the style needed to work in a haunted attraction. Wright Jr. believes there’s much more to their jobs than running at people and screaming insanity. “There’s a lot more improv involved in scary acting than one might think,” he said. “Each actor really must get into the character and think on their feet when dealing with crowds.” Once the nature and setting of the story is established, the actors are encouraged to come up with their own individual characters and justifications for the haunt. Some actors become veryinvolved in the creation of their character which can really have a positive impact on their performance each night. “Very few outside the haunt will ever know their backstories,” Wright Jr. said, “but by engrossing themselves in that character, it helps each individual put on a fantastic show. I have worked with a lot of casts over the years and the system we have created seems to work really well. Without the efforts of our awesome cast we really would not be where we are today.” Many cast members at each location volunteer numerous hours, blood, sweat and tears into making the shows and characters happen.
The idea of having a story behind each attraction is one that father and son adhered to in the early days of the Trail of Fear’s formation. Many haunts don’t focus on storyline but the Wrights always wanted to have an ongoing reason for what the people are experiencing.“In the beginning, it was mostly my dad and I coming up with this stuff ourselves,” said Wright Jr. “As we’ve grown, we put together creative teams made up of people from each attraction consisting of managers and people who volunteer a heck of a lot of time. That’s how we come up with the unique and original storylines. We don’t copy movies. Our characters will never be found in film. We create all new experiences and each one is unique to its specific location. I am really proud of our cast and crew at all three locations. They really pull together to create a fantastic show for our patrons.”
Those experiences often rotate out after a while, ensuring the Trail of Fear is constantly fresh and constantly scary no matter how many years one returns. Even after two decades, the Trail of Fear is as frightening as ever and it’s going to be even more spooky this year to celebrate itsmilestone anniversary in Lawton. In addition to the Cirque de Morte and The Experiment, two long- standing experiences that have left thousands shaken, the Lawton Trail of Fear is upping the intensity with a new attraction…Psychotic Nightmare. “It’s going to bring everything in your nightmares to life,” he said.
The Lawton Trail of Fear will also introducing a new, reservations-only Escape Room experience. More details will be forthcoming. Tickets will go on sale in September. The Wrights promise a unique experience that you won’t want to miss. Following the Trail of Fear season, the escape room experience will become a permanent, year-round fixture. This year will also see the introduction of a new interactive theater experience, Surviving the Apocalypse. The comedy-infused interactive production will host a minimum of two nightly shows each evening the Lawton Trail of Fear is open.
The show can be considered a humorous take (or guide if you will) on how to survive the apocalypse. The Haunted Midway with our carnival games and inflatable rides for children and families will also make a return, but Wright Jr. described this year asthe year the Trail of Fear brand is going back to its roots. For the 2017 season, its mission is to put a serious level of fear into the Trail of Fear. Now more than ever, Lawton Trail of Fear, Thunderbird Trail of Fear, and Dead Woods Trail of Fear won’t be for the faint of heart. “We’ll still have things for families and kids that aren’t scary,” said Wright Jr, “but we’re absolutely going back to our roots and doing whatever we can to raise the level of anxiety, uneasiness and terror in each of our haunted attractions.That’s what makes us number one.”
Even with the focus on fear and terror, the Wrights never forgot why they undertook this venture 20 years ago. They always held onto the desire to be good stewards within the community and to offer residents a fun, interactive experience they couldn’t find anywhere else. That they have not only endured but thrived throughout the last 20 years and have expanded into a brand makes Wright Jr. even more thankful for how far he’s come, especially with his father at his side. “It makes me feel great,” he said. “I’m so grateful to have been able to do all of this with my dad. What I value most is knowing that this is something that we did together not only as business partners but as father and son. I wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything. Now, if only I could get my daughter involved.”
